In this episode, Sasha Orloff is joined by Valerie Burman, CFO of Sugar Bowl Resort in Lake Tahoe and former VP at Workday and SAP, shares her unique journey from being an executive at Silicon Valley tech companies to becoming the CFO of a ski resort. Valerie talks about her philosophy on building the dream team, the importance of understanding business acumen in a CFO role, and strategies for achieving long-term liquidity. She also reflects on hard won lessons from multiple M&As and corpdev.

--

Apply to join over 400 Founders and Execs in the Turpentine Network: https://www.turpentinenetwork.co/

--

RECOMMENDED PODCAST:

🎙️ This Won't Last - Eavesdrop on Keith Rabois, Kevin Ryan, Logan Bartlett, and Zach Weinberg's monthly backchannel. They unpack their hottest takes on the future of tech, business, venture, investing, and politics.

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/id1765665937

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HwSNeVLL1MXy0RjFPyOSz

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisWontLastpodcast

--

SPONSORS:

More than 37,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. If you're looking for an ERP platform, get a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program on NetSuite: https://netsuite.com/102

Metaview is the AI assistant for interviewing. Metaview completely removes the need for recruiters and hiring managers to take notes during interviews—because their AI is designed to take world-class interview notes for you. Team builders at companies like Brex, Hellofresh, and Quora say Metaview has changed the game—see the magic for yourself: https://www.metaview.ai/heretics

BRAVE: Get first-party targeting with Brave’s private ad platform: cookieless and future proof ad formats for all your business needs. Performance meets privacy. Head to https://brave.com/brave-ads/ and mention “Turpentine” when signing up for a 25% discount on your first campaign.

Omneky is an omnichannel creative generation platform that lets you launch hundreds of thousands of ad iterations that actually work customized across all platforms, with a click of a button. Omneky combines generative AI and real-time advertising data. Mention "Cog Rev" for 10% off https://www.omneky.com/

--

X/SOCIAL:

Sasha on X: @sashaorloff

Valerie's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/burmanval/

--

TIMESTAMPS:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:45) Valerie Berman: From tech to Tahoe

(03:00) Transitioning to Sugar Bowl

(05:21) Day one as CFO: Skiing and listening

(07:02) Unique aspects of Sugar Bowl

(08:13) Balancing fun and financials

(13:05) Sponsors: Netsuite | Metaview

(14:54) Measuring success and setting goals

(24:27) Navigating seasonal business challenges

(30:00) Building a dream team at Sugar Bowl

(32:24) Sponsors: Brave | Omneky

(33:46) Insights on M&A and corporate development

(36:24) Decision making in private companies

(42:02) Significant role of cultural alignment

(46:07) Advice for aspiring CFOs

(48:06) Closing remarks and outro